Report on Government Services 2019

Part G, Chapter 19

Homelessness services

This chapter focuses on specialist homelessness services funded by government under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH). Other non-specialist homelessness services are not included in this Report.

In 2017-18, the Australian and State and Territory government recurrent expenditure on specialist homelessness services was $905.1 million. Most of this expenditure (96.2 per cent) was funding provided to agencies to deliver services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Nationally in 2017-18, an estimated 288 795 people were provided support by specialist homelessness agencies. Specialist homelessness agencies provide a number of services to clients — across a range of support areas — including general services (provided to 87.6 per cent), accommodation (29.2 per cent), domestic and family violence services (27.0 per cent) and assistance to sustain housing (26.8 per cent).

The specialist homelessness services system aims to support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to achieve sustainable housing, social inclusion and greater economic participation — re-establishing their capacity to live independently — through the delivery of transitional supported accommodation and a range of related support services that:

are accessible

identify and address individuals’ needs as appropriate

are of high quality, provided by qualified staff in a safe environment.

Governments aim for specialist homelessness services to meet these objectives in an equitable and efficient manner.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of homelessness services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2019 Report.

An overview of the Homelessness services performance indicator results is presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Homelessness services chapter and attachment tables.

Equity — Access indicators

Access of special needs groups to homelessness services

Access to homelessness services — Proportion of clients whose need for accommodation or services other than accommodation was met and who are in each of three population groups (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people born in non‑main English-speaking countries, people with disability), 2017-18 (per cent)

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats

Representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people among:

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

Clients whose accommodation needs were met

29.8

12.8

36.0

55.3

28.0

14.8

20.6

84.0

30.3

Clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met

26.2

6.7

31.3

25.6

20.6

11.9

12.5

75.5

18.2

In the population, June 2017

3.0

0.9

4.4

3.9

2.5

5.3

1.8

30.8

3.1

Source: Attachment table 19A.4

Representation of people born in non‑main English-speaking countries among:

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

Clients whose accommodation needs were met

9.3

14.4

6.2

7.5

5.3

4.8

17.6

2.7

9.4

Clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met

8.5

11.5

7.0

9.2

6.0

5.3

18.9

2.4

9.5

In the population, 2016

21.0

22.0

11.1

16.6

14.3

5.8

19.6

13.4

17.9

Source: Attachment table 19A.5

Representation of people with disability among:

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

Clients whose accommodation needs were met

3.5

4.8

2.2

2.6

4.8

3.7

3.7

2.8

3.5

Clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met

2.2

2.2

1.8

3.5

3.5

4.2

1.3

2.5

2.3

In the population, 2015

5.9

6.4

5.6

4.1

7.2

7.8

4.9

3.2

5.8

Source: Attachment table 19A.6

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Unmet demand for homelessness services

Proportion of clients with unmet need for accommodation, 2017‑18

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

41.9

38.2

26.5

13.9

17.2

24.6

34.0

11.0

32.7

Source: Attachment table 19A.7

Effectiveness — Appropriateness indicators

Addressing client needs

Proportion of clients with a case management plan (closed support periods), 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

54.4

42.2

88.3

50.3

50.6

47.4

44.4

68.8

52.0

Source: Attachment table 19A.9

Proportion of clients needing accommodation or accommodation related assistance who were provided with and/or referred for at least one accommodation or accommodation related service (closed support periods), 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

53.0

56.4

72.0

85.9

82.0

71.7

54.5

90.2

64.1

Source: Attachment table 19A.12

Efficiency indicators

Cost per day of support

Recurrent cost per day of support for clients, 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

$

32.63

35.10

46.00

49.12

34.34

42.81

38.33

28.16

36.69

Source: Attachment table 19A.16

Outcome indicators

Economic participation

Proportion of clients who were employed and/or enrolled in education and/or training after support (closed support periods), 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

24.4

20.9

16.4

18.4

23.5

17.7

32.4

15.0

21.1

Source: Attachment table 19A.19

Proportion of clients who had an income source after support (closed support periods), 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

91.7

91.0

94.6

94.9

89.4

96.1

93.7

93.7

92.2

Source: Attachment table 19A.27

Achievement of sustained housing

Proportion of clients living in independent housing after support (closed support periods), 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

63.7

63.9

61.4

62.6

69.1

61.8

67.2

66.0

63.9

Source: Attachment table 19A.30

Proportion of clients experiencing homelessness who had repeat periods of homelessness, 2017-18

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveats

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

ACT

NT

Aust

%

5.7

5.6

5.8

5.0

4.7

7.0

7.0

4.8

5.2

Source: Attachment table 19A.37

Notes

These data and caveats for these data are available in chapter 19 and attachment 19A.

Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homelessness services data

Table number

Table title

Table 19A.4

Proportion of clients — with accommodation and services other than accommodation needs that were met — who were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients

Support needs of clients, by service assistance type, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients (closed support periods)

Table 19A.19

Economic participation, before and after support, clients aged 15 years or over (closed support periods)

Table 19A.20

Labour force status, before and after support (closed support periods), clients aged 15 years or over

Table 19A.22

Labour force status, before and after support, as a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed employment and/or training assistance (closed support periods)

Table 19A.27

Income status, before and after support, clients aged 15 years or over (closed support periods)

Table 19A.29

Income status, before and after support, as a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed income assistance (closed support periods)

Table 19A.30

Independent housing, before and after support (closed support periods)

Table 19A.32

Housing tenure type, before and after support, as a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing (closed support periods)

Table 19A.35

The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing and achieved it at the end of support, who did not present again with a need for accommodation assistance in the reporting period

Table 19A.36

Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients experiencing homelessness, who had repeat periods of homelessness